Let's Sperg Masoukishin: The Lord of Elemental/Super Robot Wars Gaiden - An all original character SRW game that is the backbone of the franchise

[GethN7]

I'm going to do a Let's Sperg of a game made near the tail end of the SNES' lifespan that pioneered several tactical RPG mechanics long before they were cool (Disgaea fans, this game beat you to the punch on several things), looked great given the system it was on, and is the literal first game to take place in the canon of three separate SRW series.

It's a game with two story parts. Part 1 takes place before SRW 2 (Classic timeline), SRW Alpha (Alpha Timeline), and SRW Original Generation 1 (OG Timeline)

Part 2 takes place SRW 3 (Classic timeline), SRW Alpha Gaiden (Alpha timeline), and Original Generations Gaiden (OG Timeline)

The good news, though, is that if you have never played any of the above, don't worry, this game features all original characters, no crossover shit. Knowledge of the above definitely helps, but this game is completely playable without doing so.


Another thing that's cool is that this game was doing shit SJWs love like polygamous relationships and "diversity", but did it in such a way it wasn't fucking retarded.

For example, one of the good guys is a no shit Muslim, and he's portrayed as an actual person, not merely a diversity checkbox filler. In fact, the writing in general is actually pretty good.

Also, you may have noticed this game was co-produced with a company named Winkysoft, who Banpresto eventually parted ways with over creative differences after the first two Alpha games, and while the latter owned all the characters, the former had free right to reuse the engine mechanics, which they had the rights to alongside Banpresto.

Winkysoft went on to produce some okay but not outstanding games with mecha show crossovers Banpresto couldn't get the licensing rights to, but honestly, Banpresto got the better end of the deal in the long run.

Anyway, this game is gonna be long, and unfortunately still has some of the lovely dated engine mechanics of the older games (Winkysoft made some good decisions, but some were just asinine regarding the game engine), so bear with me if this LS updates fairly slow.

 

[GethN7]

The prologue begins with the following:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Michelet

FYI, the world in the game runs off this premise:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow_Earth

It's a discredited theory IRL, but early SRW games that referenced this just rolled with this as true back when the writers were lazy bastards.

Later games sorta retconned this to La Gias existing in a another dimension inside the Earth, with the Earth itself forming it's outer walls, but it's a lot bigger on the inside. Basically a pocket dimension hidden inside the Earth's physical location in our solar system.

Either way, you guys get the idea, world on runs on crazy shit.

Just to avoid confusion, Langran is a country in La Gias, the pocket dimension world.

If you haven't guessed by now, the technology of La Gias is Magitek, basically magic is the power source of the tech.

For instance, the frame of one of their machines could be repaired and maintained by a non magically trained engineer, but the engines and the more fantastical armament is a total black box of hocus pocus.

One of the principles these things run on:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_motion

Given the pilot's life force is the fuel, these aren't technically perpetual motion machines in the strictest sense, since having a fuel source means they don't violate the laws of physics, but considering the fuel source in question does not conform to the law of physics, these machines will keep going until their pilot dies.

Basically, the Langran people created something they need skilled operators for and ironically most of them don't have that quality, which is where our protagonist comes into the picture.

Our hero, this guy:

 

[GethN7]

Episode 1: La Gias

We start by Masaki waking up in some temple:

This is Tytti Norbuck. She's from Finland, and if you want to pronounce her name remotely right, enunciate it as "T-you-tea".

Looks like this:

He, they say hi, and she initially thinks his name is Chinese.

He corrects her, he's from Japan.

She then says the world they are in is inside the Earth, and he dismisses that as sci-fi bullshit (he's not wrong, honestly, it is IRL sci-fi bullshit)

She then leads him outside to show she not lying:

As you can see, the world is like an inverse version of the Halo ring world.

Once he realizes she isn't a liar, he then says this, being totally sarcastic:

She tells he's exactly right.

She then segues into how it all started with a prophecy, and Masaki is groaning HARD at this point, his cliche meter is spiking into the red at this point, but she persists, or tries to until a warning siren goes off and she gets a call.

She has to leave, and afterwards, Masaki can either stay put or look around.

The plot advances either way, so pick either.

He wanders into a hangar like area, and meets this guy:

The guys practically drags him off, and this happens:

The soldier wants him to get inside a machine called Jaohm, and once he plops into the cockpit, he still doesn't get, but decides to just roll with it for now, and he somehow realizes he already knows how to use the machine as he finds himself deploying.

We cut to the battle map, where this guy wants to know who the new guy is:

Tytti is piloting the red machine, and is surprised Masaki is there, and despite concern he's a noob, Simone Curien (she's French) is all "let's see what he can do"

While Tytti wants to further object, she just points at the enemy and says "we have them to deal with either way, right?"

Yang Long then hands out combat advice.

Don't turn your back to the enemy unless you want to get serious damage.

That's right, the direction mechanic from Disgaea made it's debut in this game.

Once you move and commit to an action, you can choose the direction you face once done until the next turn.

This goes vice versa for the enemy.

We can move now, overview of your foes and friends:

You can level Masaki up a few times this level, Jaohm is also nicely balanced for this.

For SRW veterans, there is "Magic" (aka Seishins from the other games) and "Skills", which use Prana, basically a secondary form of magic.

MG is the Energy stat from the other games and works the same way.

His mech is pretty assault based, as is he.

Hers is magic/defense inclined, and it has a repair unit, and in this game healers can self heal.

Hers is a short range fighter and can also heal.

Now for the enemy units:

These are lame air mooks, but I do like their pilots (aka Heralds) sweet as hell bird of prey styled helmets.

These are basic bitch land mechs.

Honestly, this level is really damn easy and you'd have to be fucking tard to die here, the good guys even hand out tons of free advice throughout.

After a turn or two, more land mechs show up, led by some generic faced asshole named Gaspar (he looks like the other terrorists) who is here to get data on your machines, and even if you off his sorry ass, he's like "got what I came for".

Mostly, just try to have Masaki get all the kills here, he could use the EXP, and just get used to the battle engine.

It's generally like other SRW/turn based strategy games, so you'll be finding it easy to adapt to if you played those.

 

[GethN7]

After the battle, everyone concedes Masaki did well for a noob,

Also, you'll notice everyone after the fight gets some bonus EXP.

Then this guy thanks you all for the good job.

Masaki is all "Who are you?", prompting Tytti to freak out, but he's chill, he's not hung up on formality.

He's Feilord Gran Vilsaer/Bilsea (his last name can be transliterated either way), Crown Prince of Langran.

He's also deputy director of their national police/national guard.

In fact, he just insists Masaki first names him as "Feil", then explains you did well for a noob and thus wants you to formally join his team.

You can choose to accept or reject the idea, which leads to two different routes.

Both end up at the same destination via different levels but introduce all the same basic story elements, so I'll let you guys offer suggestions before I pick one.

CAVEAT: How well you did will have an effect. If you're LV 1, you get an additional training stage if you accept, then go on Stage 3. LV2 or higher goes to Stage 3 by default if you accept

Not accepting leads to stages 4 and 5.

If LV1, you are basically forced to accept if you try to opt out.

Note: If you let Masaki kill everyone in the first stage, he'll be Level 4 by this point, and levels are important, they are an important modifier on how much damage you do and take.

 

[GethN7]

I went with accepting Feilord's offer.

Tytti is surprised, but Masaki is like "screw it, I here, right?"

However, he did it because he figured he couldn't go back and is all "wait, I'm NOT stuck here?"

Feilord, being reasonable, realizes Masaki made a decision based on poor information and says after Tytti finally explains everything, he can then re-decide things.

We cut to later, and Masaki says he's not planning welshing on his word, but since he's given time to think it over, he says he will take two or three days to make sure of his decision.

Tytti then asks if his parents won't mind, and we find out Masaki is an orphan.

Turns out Tytti is too, but Masaki refrains from prying into why, then Tytti says he needs a place to stay for awhile, so she offers to have a guy named Zeroot/Zeolute put him up for room and board.

He's the Imperial martial arts instructor and will likely be training Masaki.


Now we cut to intermission:

Being as this is an older engine based SRW, we only have the following options

Save Data: Duh

Boost Units: Increase Unit Stats

Boost Arms: Increase weapon stats. Weapons can have their power boosted separately, being based on older SRW rules.

Important Note: This can be important if you want to save ammo for certain weapons. If you buff up weaker stuff with more ammo, which costs less, you can save ammo for important stuff, which has less ammo most of the time.


View Units: Duh

View Heralds: Again, duh, just remember pilots = Heralds for players of other SRW games.


I'd hold off on blowing any funds on anything for now.

 

[GethN7]

Important notes before I continue.

Stage numbers will coincide with route names, not done in chronological order.

There are multiple routes, but ultimately only three endings, only one is canon.

The point of no return begins with Stage 50, which is where the game begins the canon route. If you DON'T play this route, you get one of the other two routes, which have many of the same events but ultimately end noncanonically.

For the sake of those who may move on to the later games, this only covers the canon route.

 

[GethN7]

Scenario 3: A Dreadful Enemy


Before we continue, the character Zeolute has usually been translated "Zeoroot" in other translations, even Banpresto seems remarkably inconsistent when it comes to Masoukishin names, but I rolling with the Zeolute translation for the purposes of this LS.


Anyway we resume as Tytti is introducing Masaki to Zeolute Zan Xenosakis/Zenozakis, martial arts instructor to the Langran throne.

This guy:

I'll be honest, he looks more like a scholar than a combat instructor.

Anyway, Tytti declines an offer to stay for tea and welcomes Masaki to his home.

That's when we meet Zeolute's daughter, Precia:

She immediately warms up to Masaki and is all "it's like having a big brother!"

He's all "...Okay....." in response.

Zeolute then notes he smells tiki bird stew cooking, and Precia tells her dad he needs to eat his red peppers too, which he obviously does not like.

Zeolute then aks Masaki is he's picky, he says no, and Zeolute then is all "then have all the red peppers you want".

Yeah, Zeolute may be a grown man, but he's gonna be immature about this.

Cue Precia giving her dad a hard time about being more childish than her.

We cut to the next morning, where Tytti asks about Masaki's time at Zeolute's, and Masaki admits he's still confused about how La Gias works, then asks about the whole devil to destroy La Gias prophecy.

She admits it is, but they aren't sure who or what it is per se.

Masaki then confirms he's staying down here.

She's all "why exactly?", and he responds that he wouldn't give a damn if they tried to pull the patriotism card or tried to force the cliche "be a hero" crap on him, but since they aren't forcing him with that, he's sticking around cause he wants to.

That,and he's getting a kick out of kicking ass.

Tytti then gets serious and is all "combat means you can die, remember, it's not all fun and games."

She then asks "can you kill another person because you think it's "awesome"?

(Bit of foreshadowing here)

He backtracks, adding that while he gets a thrill out of being a badass, he's not a lunatic, he does want to be the good guy.

She relaxes on hearing this.

And that's when trouble starts again.

She gets off her phone (how it works here has yet to be described) and says the terrorists are back, only about 1000 Km away from their position in Palom province.

Masaki tags along, and when they get there, Tytti confirms the recent terrorist attacks are an anomaly, though the Elemental Lords may be scaring the terrorists into action.

As we arrive, Langran soldiers breathe a sigh of relief:

They withdraw with injured soldiers and civilians, and one of the terrorist has this cunty comment to Tytti's outrage at the attack:

Tytti shoots that shit down:

The goons are more of the same assholes from last time, no strategy needed at this time save what you did last stage.

After a turn, Masaki muses the terrorists attacking head on is kinda stupid, it'd make more sense to use actual terrorist tactics like bombs.

Tytti muses that's a good point, but La Gias has barriers against such conventional munitions.

Once you take them down, someone else shows up:

He then says he knows who they are, and says hi:

He's the only character in all of La Gias with pointed ears, no reason has ever been officially given.

Anyway, Tytti realizes he's like eighty different kinds of evil, calling him the "Devil Priest Luozorl".

He's flattered to be recognized, then notes his mech is not an Elemental. In fact, his Nagzadd is more like a "Cursed Spirit".

That out of the way he's all:

"Could you all die here now plz kthnxbai."

Masaki is all "fuck that!"

Luozorl then proceeds to summon some things called Demon Golems".

I'll let Tytti explain:

AKA clay golems powered by the souls of dead assholes.

Anyway, that said, DON'T try to fight Luozorl, he's hard as balls:

The Demon Golems, they aren't half as bad:

After a few turns, Masaki and Tytti start to panic, but reinforcements show up:

That is Ricardo Silveira:

He's Brazilian, former pilot in their air force, FYI. Also has a thing for Tytti.

Yang Long is in the other mecha, surprised to see Luozorl when he expected only terrorists.

Ricardo's EL is Zamzeed, and Yang Long is piloting Granveil.

Luozorl takes that as a cue to leave.

Ricardo suggests busting out Yang Long's Megiddo Flameand his Resonance Quake to kill the Demon Golems en masse, but the former is bit iffy on using it in real combat for now, and Tytti gives Ricardo an earful about his own aim kinda blows.

Honestly, I recommend just letting Masaki EXP farm instead of using MAP attacks, but here's the new ELs:

For those who played Alpha Gaiden, you'll notice it looks a LOT different.

Looks about the same for Alpha Gaiden players.

Anyway, once the level is over, Masaki is trying to collate all this new info. Yang Long elaborate that "Heralds" can even pilot machines with a"consciousness" inside them, and we discover that is the key difference between "Elementals" (bog standard Langran mecha) and "Elemental Lords" (the badass elite versions)

Tytti helpfully explains there are four, one for each element: Cybuster (Wind), Gaddess (Water), Granveil (Fire), and Zamzeed (Earth)

Ricardo then adds Tytti's on the list for getting tested for one.

Yang Long then gets back to business and says they should inform Feilord about Luozorl showing up.